4 ms·

I really don't understand where this idea of "annual boosters" is coming from. SARS-CoV2 is clearly on the trajectory to become one of the many viruses that are

by fsh 5y ago

I really don't understand where this idea of "annual boosters" is coming from. SARS-CoV2 is clearly on the trajectory to become one of the many viruses that are endemic in humans. This means that everyone will occasionally get exposed to it which updates the immune memory. The question is how to get there while minimizing the damage to the population. The mRNA vaccines were originally tested with two doses which appears to provide a strong and relatively long lasting protection against severe disease. Now it turned out that giving a third dose after a few months improves the protection even more, which is particularly relevant for high-risk patients.

angelzen 5y ago
The press. "Israel Is Preparing for Possible Fourth Covid Vaccine Dose". https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-12/israel-preparing-for-possible-fourth-covid-vaccine-dose https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-12/israel-pr...
bigodbiel 5y ago
Because “eradicating covid” apparently is still among some politicians’ and public health authorities’ wish list. Never mind that it’s another pipe dream like “covid zero” policy.
roenxi 5y ago
> I really don't understand where this idea of "annual boosters" is coming from. There has beena political firestorm where people are being forced from their jobs for not being vaccinated, ostensibly due to the risk of transmission. Now we discover that vaccinated people become unvaccinated over time (as far as transmissiblity is concerned). The logical conclusion is to start sacking/ostracising people who do not get regular (likely annual) booster shots.
- fsh 5y ago
  I think that the vaccine mandates were primarily a reaction to the large increase in hospitalizations and deaths at the time. This was primarily driven by unvaccinated people due to their higher risk of transmitting and contracting the disease and the much higher risk of getting seriously ill. In an endemic situation with widespread immunity this kind of surge should not be a problem.
  - roenxi 5y ago
    That sounds like a reasonable line of thinking that I'd be happy to let slide. But there is quite a lot of evidence that the pro-mandate crowd are unreasonable and don't think that way - which is why mandates were a tool being deployed in the first place. If it was necessary to mandate vaccines in 2020 then it will still be necessary in 2022 and beyond. The changes are all marginal.
    - mewpmewp2 5y ago
      I find it infuriating how anyone who dared to question vaccines and their side effects profile were immediately ostracized, censored, hated and gaslighted. Now it's coming out more and more how there are many adverse effects and much more frequent than what was originally claimed which in addition with how fast they lose their efficacy changes risk rewards profile very much. In my life I have never seen something that you aren't allowed to question as much as those vaccines. For me, I'm by nature going to feel that something's off and it only makes me dig deeper, increasing distrust.

by fsh 5y ago

angelzen 5y ago

The press. "Israel Is Preparing for Possible Fourth Covid Vaccine Dose". https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-12/israel-preparing-for-possible-fourth-covid-vaccine-dose https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-12/israel-pr...

bigodbiel 5y ago

Because “eradicating covid” apparently is still among some politicians’ and public health authorities’ wish list. Never mind that it’s another pipe dream like “covid zero” policy.

roenxi 5y ago

> I really don't understand where this idea of "annual boosters" is coming from. There has beena political firestorm where people are being forced from their jobs for not being vaccinated, ostensibly due to the risk of transmission. Now we discover that vaccinated people become unvaccinated over time (as far as transmissiblity is concerned). The logical conclusion is to start sacking/ostracising people who do not get regular (likely annual) booster shots.

fsh 5y ago
I think that the vaccine mandates were primarily a reaction to the large increase in hospitalizations and deaths at the time. This was primarily driven by unvaccinated people due to their higher risk of transmitting and contracting the disease and the much higher risk of getting seriously ill. In an endemic situation with widespread immunity this kind of surge should not be a problem.
- roenxi 5y ago
  That sounds like a reasonable line of thinking that I'd be happy to let slide. But there is quite a lot of evidence that the pro-mandate crowd are unreasonable and don't think that way - which is why mandates were a tool being deployed in the first place. If it was necessary to mandate vaccines in 2020 then it will still be necessary in 2022 and beyond. The changes are all marginal.
  - mewpmewp2 5y ago
    I find it infuriating how anyone who dared to question vaccines and their side effects profile were immediately ostracized, censored, hated and gaslighted. Now it's coming out more and more how there are many adverse effects and much more frequent than what was originally claimed which in addition with how fast they lose their efficacy changes risk rewards profile very much. In my life I have never seen something that you aren't allowed to question as much as those vaccines. For me, I'm by nature going to feel that something's off and it only makes me dig deeper, increasing distrust.